"wedding registry" news and stories

Does the planned expansion of FoodieRegistry.com spell doom for the electric waffle cone maker?

Let us explain.

FoodieRegistry.com is the result of a genius idea by husband-and-wife team Ben and Jennifer Reid. Basically, the whole concept was to give betrothed couples an alternative to registering for more stuff by allowing them to register for gift certificates to high-end restaurants.

The couple launched their site a year ago in their hometown of Chicago. They now have 65 participating eateries in the Windy City, and last week, they began offering gift certificates to restaurants in San Francisco. There are plans afoot to expand to five other cities as well: New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami and Las Vegas.

So what does all that have to do with electric waffle cone makers? Well, as anyone who's ever killed time wandering around a Williams-Sonoma knows, there's a whole bevy of miscellaneous kitchen gadgetry whose only conceivable market must be the modern engaged couple. Think about it: you've got to register-there are a hundred-odd people on your guest list, and if you don't give them some guidance, that's a hundred-odd chances for you to end up with, say, a hundred matching his-and-her Snuggies.

Yes, china and towels are nice, but when Chicago residents Jennifer and Ben Reid got married in 2008, they wanted something a little less practical: dinner on the town. The couple asked their friends and family for gift certificates to their favorite restaurants, and were rewarded with "free dinner date nights" for months after the ceremony.

Inspired, the Reids launched FoodieRegistry.com, a website that allows gift-givers to choose from a list of more than 30 Chicago-area restaurants. The engaged couple creates a list of restaurants where they'd like to dine, and wedding guests choose the place and the amount they want to spend (there is a $25 minimum). The site doesn't charge any fees, so if you spend say, $100, the couple gets the full amount in food and drink. (The site makes money from a profit-sharing agreement with the restaurants.) And like a traditional registry, when you make a purchase, other gift-givers see what's already been snapped up.

• When registering for those kitchen supplies before getting married, make sure that you aren't picking out things that are just going to sit in the box or in storage.
  
• When it comes to cheesecake, as long as you go for the creamiest cheese you can find, you can use any number of cheeses.
  
• You'll find barbecue potato chips, a flag platter and a salad server in the shape of a potted plant in the Market Basket.
• Paying attention to the eye appeal of a salad will increase the likelihood that it will get devoured.
  
• Quesadillas, from the basic to the gourmet.
  
• The Rush Hour Gourmet says that quick and flexible stir fry makes quick work of dinner.